Naomi Clothier

Naomi Clothier writes and illustrates stories for anyone who has ever been told they are too much.

She grew up with her nose buried in imagination, surrounded by five-foot-tall mice and castles built out of pure belief. Being the baby of six kids taught her early that if you want to be heard, you either get very loud or very funny — she chose both.

She studied art at Ringling College of Art and Design, where she learned to paint light, shadow, and the exact expression a marshmallow makes when it is worried. When she is not writing or drawing, she is probably collecting Pokemon — because you have to catch them all, and she is determined to do her part.

She lives in Orlando with her family, a badly-behaved garden, two dogs who are deeply unimpressed by her, and a firm belief that love can conquer most things — and laughter conquers the rest.

The Peppermint Goat was born on a very bad day — the kind of day where you knock over your coffee, send an email to the wrong person, and wonder if the world might be softer if you were just a little less you. Pep arrived fully formed: small, striped, clumsy, and kind. He has been keeping her company ever since.

She believes the best stories don't teach lessons. They just keep you company when you need it most.